Spain vs England, UEFA Euro 2024 Final: All eyes on joint top-scorers Dani Olmo, Harry Kane – Three key battles

Spain defeated France in their semi-final, sealing a 2-1 win. Meanwhile, even England beat Netherlands in the semis, by the same scoreline. Speaking after his side’s semi-final win, England manager Gareth Southgate said, “We deserved to win. We were very fluid in our formation, it wasn’t just a back three, we had to adapt all the time, and the players made so many good decisions. This has to be the best [achievement]. It’s another landmark, but the way we played, we played so well throughout the game. It was a complicated game, they kept changing, and we had to respond. We caused them problems all night, and the end is so special for the squad.”

Here are the key battles for the Spain vs England UEFA Euro 2024 final:

1. Unai Simon vs Harry Kane

Harry Kane is the joint Euro 2024 top-scorer (four goals), with Spain’s Dani Olmo, Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo and Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze. Gakpo and Mikautadze are not in the final, and Kane will have a chance to overtake them. Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon will be tasked with preventing Kane from scoring. He will be hoping to get proper support from his centre-backs, but has been impressive in Germany.

2. Lamine Yamal vs Kieran Trippier

Barcelona’s 16-year-old sensation has been sensational at the Euros and will be looking to end the tournament on a high. England’s Kieran Trippier will be tasked with marking the right winger as he has been playing at left-back. Trippier has been solid for Gareth Southgate in Germany, and will look to give a tough test to Yamal.

3. Dani Olmo vs Declan Rice

Like Kane, Olmo has the chance to overtake and take sole top spot in the Golden Boot race. England’s defensive midfielder Declan Rice will have to mark Olmo, who will slot in at midfield, in place of the injured Pedri. This could be the most crucial battle in the final, and it could have a huge impact on the result.